INTERNATIONAL
Mahama Re-elected as Ghana’s
President
On 10 December Ghana’s incumbent President John
Dramani Mahama of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has won the
country’s presidential election.Mahama took 50.70 percent of the total valid
votes cast, while his closest challenger, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of
the New Patriotic Party (NPP) obtained 47.74 percent.With his
re-election, Mahama becomes the fourth president to be elected under the Forth
Republic.He had served as Ghana’s vice president since 2009.
UN, Pakistan Launched ‘Malala
Fund’
Pakistan joined forces with the United Nations on
10 December 2012 to launch a fund aimed at boosting girls’ education throughout
the world.The fund is named for Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old Pakistani
girl. Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari also announced a
$10-million donation for a global war chest to educate all girls by 2015 set up
in the name of Malala Yousafzai for campaigning for girls’ education.
Shinzo Abe Elected As
Japan’s New PM
The former Prime Minister and the Leader of
LDP Shinzo Abe elected as a Prime Minister with a clear victory
over the Prime Minister and leader of the Democratic Party of
Japan(DPJ) Yoshihiko Noda in the Parliamentary Elections on 26 December
2012.The lawmakers in Japan voted in favour of Abe by 328 votes. Opponent Banri
Kaieda, the newly chosen leader of DPJ received merely 57 votes.
Jacob Zuma re-elected as
South Africa’s President
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress on
18 December 2012 re-elected President Jacob Zuma as the party chief with a
thumping majority. Mr.Zuma received the support of over 75 per cent of the
total voting delegates at the ANC National Conference held in Bloemfontein.
Juma was Deputy President of South Africa from 1999 to 2005
Park elected South Korean
President
Park Guen-hye, the daughter of former military
dictator Park Chung-hee, beat her opponent on 19 December 2012 in the
South Korean presidential elections. Park is the country’s first woman
President. She is the former head of the ruling Conservative Saenuri Party, had
secured the necessary votes and defeated Moon Jae-in, of the Democratic United
Party.
Pak Cleared
Anti-terror Bill
On 20 December Pakistan’s National Assembly
passed a bill that will give intelligence and security agencies sweeping
powers to conduct surveillance and collect data from SMS’s and emails.The
National Assembly or lower house of parliament approved the “”Fair Trial Bill
2012 “” after incorporating amendments proposed by the main opposition PML-N
and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, which is part of the ruling coalition led by
the Pakistan People’s Party.
U.S. House Passed Defense Bill
On 20 December US (United States) House of
Representatives passed the Defence Authorization Act of 2013. The bill
authorizing 633.3 billion – dollar in defense spending for 2013, easing limits
on satellite exports and providing more Marines for embassy security.
Napolitano Dissolved Italian
Parliament
On 22 December Italian President Giorgio
Napolitano dissolved Parliament following the resignation of Prime Minister
Mario Monti. Italian Government under the leadership of Mario Monti brought
forward a series of austerity reforms backed by EU and business leaders.
Morsi signed on Egypt’s New
Constitution
On 25 December Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi
signed into law a new Islamist-drafted constitution. He signed a
declaration enforcing the charter late after the official announcement of the
result of a referendum approving the basic law. Two-thirds of the members of
the 270-seat council were elected earlier this year in a vote in which only 12
per cent of registered voters participated. The remaining 90 were appointed by
Mohamed Morsi, the Islamist president.
Pakistan Recognised the Republic
of Kosovo
On 26 December Pakistan Government officially
recognised Kosovo as an independent state, almost five years after it declared
independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008. Pakistan is the 98th country
among the 193 U.N-member states to recognise Kosovo .Kosovo is a small south
east European state lies between Albania, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro.
INDIA
& WORLD
Nitish Kumar, Hazare, Malala
Among “The Top 100 Global Thinkers” List
On 2 December According to the United
States-based Foreign Policy magazine has released its list of the
“100 Top Global Thinkers” from 2012. The magazine has placed the Indians
in the list include Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who features way below
at the 77th place, Anna Hazare who has been placed at the 37th position for his
anti-corruption crusade in the country. 15-year-old Pakistani child rights
activist Malala Yousafzai at 6th position, Aung San Suu Kyi is
ranked first in list.
Bangladesh Agreed on Zero
Line Fencing along Tripura Border
On 2 December Bangladesh had agreed to
set up barbed wire fencing along zero line in nine stretches on the
Indo-Bangladesh border in Tripura. According to the MHA communique, fencing
along zero line was to be allowed in 9 areas.
India & Japan Signed
Currency Swap Agreement
India signed a bilateral swap arrangement (BSA)
with the Bank of Japan to swap their local currencies for an amount of $15
billion for a three year period on 4 December 2012.The BSA will effect from 5
December 2012.
India is Among Top Five
Terror-Hit Nations
The Australian think tank released The Global
Terrorism Index (GTI) on 4 December 2012, according to this GTI, India,
Pakistan and Afghanistan were among the nations most impacted by terrorism in
2011. In 2011, the Middle East, India, Pakistan and Russia were the areas most
impacted by terrorism. India’s GTI rank was 4 out of the 159 countries
surveyed. While Iraq stood at number1, Pakistan at number 2, Afghanistan at
number 3 and Yemen was number 5.
Bangalore Best Indian City To
Live
Bangalore ranks better than New Delhi, Mumbai,
Chennai and Kolkata amongst Indian cities in overall global quality of living
index, according to a Mercer 2012 Quality of Living Survey.Bangalore’s overall
quality of living rank went up from 141 in 2011 to 139 in 2012 and is highest
amongst other Indian cities.
India Ranked 94th Position
in Corruption
Denmark, Finland and New Zealand tied for the first
place in watchdog Transparency International’s 2012 index of the
least corrupt countries. India is on 94th position in the Corruption
Perceptions Index. Most corrupted nations are Afghanistan, North Korea
and Somalia in 174th positions.
US Extends Exemptions For India
to Iran Oil Sanctions
On 8 December the US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton has extended exemptions to India, China ,South Korea, Malaysia,
Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Taiwan from Iranian
Sanctions Act mainly because of their significant reduction in oil import from
Iran.The 9 countries have again qualified for an exception to sanctions
outlined in Section 1245 of the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) for
Fiscal Year 2012, based on additional reductions in the volume of their crude
oil purchases from Iran.This is for the second time that countries including
India has received waiver from US under the Iranian sanctions act.
3 Indian Projects among
Strategic- Global Infrastructure Projects List
Three Indian projects have placed in the new
york’s Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum “Top 100 Strategic Global
Infrastructure Projects “ list. GIFT city (Gujarat International Financial Tech
city), Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project (Maharashtra) and the Hyderabad
Metro Rail (HMR) project (Andhra Pradesh).
India, Ukraine Signed on
Five Agreements
India and Ukraine on 10 December 2012 signed on
five agreements in New Delhi to enhance cooperation including in areas of
defence, Nuclear, Science and Technology and also to remove barriers in trade
and commerce.
Indians ‘Largest Ethnic
Minority Group in UK
On 11 December According to the 2011 Britain
population census record Indians are the largest ethnic minority group in the
UK.With 1.5 percent of the Hindu religion became a third-largest religion in the
nation’s. The Christian population in the country is also a drop in the
statistics.. The Muslim community population in the country’s
fastest growing increased by 3 percent to 4.8.
India& Pak Signed on New Visa
Agreement
The new Visa Agreement between India and Pakistan
on 14th December, 2012 at New Delhi. However, the Visa-on-Arrival will
come into effect from 15th January, 2013. Shri Sushilkumar Shinde, Home
Minister of India and Mr. A. Rehman Malik, Pakistan Interior Minister singed on
the agreement.
Cell Phone Connections to
exceed the World Population by 2014
The International Telecommunications Communication
Union (ITU) to be designed and released Information Society 2012 – Observe
report on 11 December. According to the report number of cell phone
connections exceeding the world’s population by 2014. Now 6 billion
(hundreds of millions) cell phone connections they will reach 730 Millions by
2014 .Then the world’s population is 700 crore.Already in Russia 1.8 times cell
phone accounts more than 25 million people.
Indians now Live Longer but in
Poor Health in Old Age
According to the the prestigious British medical
journal, ‘The Lancet ‘ report the life expectancy (LE) at birth of an average
Indian male has gone up by 15 years between 1970 and 2010. An
average Chinese male is living 10 years longer than an Indian male, while a
Chinese woman is living 11.5 years longer than her Indian counterpart. An
average American lives nearly 13 years longer than an Indian.
World Malaria Report 2012
According to the WHO “ World Malaria Report 2012”
India, the country most affected by malaria in the South East Asian Region, is
projected to see a decrease of 50-75 per cent in malaria case incidence by
2015.In South East Asia Region, Bhutan, Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand
have registered decreases of 75 per cent or more in the incidence of
microscopically confirmed malaria incidence rates between 2000 and 2011.
Hinduism Third Largest
Religion of World
According to the ‘ Pew research ‘ survey report
Hinduism is the third largest religion of the world after Christianity ,
Islam and 97 per cent of all Hindus live in the world’s three
Hindu-majority countries (India, Mauritius and Nepal), and nearly nine-in-ten
Christians (87 per cent) are found in the world’s 157 Christian majority
countries.In the total world population 2.2 billion Christians (32 per cent of
the world’s population), 1.6 billion Muslims (23 per cent) around the world as
of 2010.
India & Russia signed
Rs 22,000 crore Defence Deals
India and Russia signed defence deals worth around
Rs. 22,000 crore ($4 billion) on 24 December. According to this pact Russia
will sell India 71 military helicopters for $1.3 billion and technological kits
to assemble 42 Sukhoi jet fighters for $1.6 billion.
NATIONAL
Sexual Assault a Gender-Neutral
Offence Bill Passed by Lok Sabha
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, replacing the
word ‘rape’ by the phrase ‘sexual assault’ and seeking to widen the scope of
the offence passed by Lok Sabha on 4 December. Both men and women could soon be
able to invoke the provisions of a criminal law in case of sexual assault .The
amendment bill expands the definition so that cases of sexual assault where
victims were male would fall under the same law along with cases where victims
were women.
Cabinet Approved Naval Base
Phase II of Project “Seabird “
On 7 December The Cabinet Committee on Security
(CCS) cleared a Rs 13,500 crore major expansion plan of the strategic Karwar
naval base Phase II Alpha of the project “Seabird “in Karnataka is set to
become the country’s biggest Naval base by 2025. The Karwar naval base is
India’s third major naval base after Mumbai and Visakhapatnam on the east
coast.
Over 7 Crore Unemployed
Youth in India
According to the National Sample Survey Office
(NSSO) report an approximate 7 crore youth people in India are either
unemployed or under-employed. The figures were revealed by Labour and Employment
Minister Mallikarjun Kharge in Rajya Sabha.”As per results of the latest survey
conducted by NSSO during 2009-10, the number of unemployed or under-employed
persons on usual status basis in the country was 95 lakhs and about six crore
respectively.
Rajya Sabha Passed SC/ST Quota
Bill
A Constitution 117th amendment bill providing
for quota for SCs and STs in government job promotions was on December 17
passed by Rajya Sabha.
Unlawful Activities Amendment
Bill Passed by Rajya Sabha
On 20 December Parliament passed a bill that
makes economic offences, including circulation of high quality counterfeit
currency, a terrorist act.The Rajya Sabha passed Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Amendment Bill, 2012 by voice vote while several parties. The bill
was already passed by Lok Sabha.
LokSabha Approved Company
Bill 2011
On 18 December Lok Sabha passed the Companies Bill
2011 paving the way for a new modern company law.The Bill is aimed at improving
corporate governance. It contains provisions to strengthen regulations for
corporate as well as auditing firms.
Banking Bill passed by Lok Sabha
The Banking Laws Amendment Bill, 2011, have been
passed in the Lok Sabha on 20 December .The amendments pave the way for the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to issue new bank licences, and also opens door for
more foreign investment into the sector.
Usha Mehra commission for Delhi
incident victim Nirbhaya’s Case
A female physiotherapy intern student Nirbhaya
beaten and gang raped in Delhi on 16 December and died on 29 December while
undergoing emergency treatment in Singapore for brain and gastrointestinal
damage from the assault.The government has formed a committee of enquiry under
justice Usha Mehra to reconstruct the events leading to the incident identify
lapses by police and other agencies and fix responsibility for the crime.
Microsoft Launches 14
Innovation Centres in India
Microsoft Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd had launched
14 Microsoft Innovation Centres (MICs) in India. It has signed agreements with
leading academic institutions across four States.As part of the global
programme, which currently has 75 MICs, Microsoft aims to launch a 100 such
centres in India in the next two years.
STATES
Delhi Government Launched “Delhi
Annshri Yojna”
UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi was launched a major
food security programme of Delhi Government “Delhi Annshri Yojna” on 15
December 2012.under which a monthly cash subsidy of Rs. 600 will be transferred
directly into Aadhaar-linked bank accounts of the senior-most female members of
two lakh poor families.
BJP Won in Gujarat Assembly
Elections
The BJP registered its fifth consecutive victory in
Gujarat on 20 December 2012.This is the third victory under Modi leadership.
BJP won the 115 seats. Congress won the 61 seats. Modi won by
a landslide from Maninagar constituency in Gujarat, beating his nearest
Congress party rival Shweta Bhatt by a margin of 86,373 votes.
Congress has won Himachal
Pradesh Elections
The Congress returned to power in Himachal Pradesh
after five years, defeating the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Himachal
Pradesh State Assembly elections conduced on 4 November 2012.The Congress
secured 36 seats and the BJP 26 seats. The Congress Leader Virbhadra Singh won
from Shimla (Rural) constituency and defeated the rival from BJP Ishwar Rohal
by 19033 Votes.
Meghalaya Passed Lokayukta Bill
2012
On 14 December the Meghalaya Lokayukta Bill, 2012
was passed in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and replaced the existing
Lokayukta Act, 2002 amidst opposition from legislators. The new act under the
lokayukta bill covered the chief minister, governor and all public servants,
but allowed the state government through a clause to exclude the complaints by
citing public interest.
Madhya Pradesh Government Set Up
a Senior Citizen Commission
On 21 December the Madhya Pradesh Government
has set up a Senior Citizen Commission to look into problems of the
elderly in the State.
Assam Government Announced
Special Health Scheme
On 12 December Assam government announced that 50
riverine public health centres would be set up in the state soon under the
National Rural Health Mission.The public health centres would be located
primarily in the districts of Barpeta, Dhubri, Goalpara and Darrang.
30% Reservation for Rural
Candidates in Assam Govt. Jobs
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on 26 December
2012 announced that 30 per cent state government jobs will be reserved for
candidates belonging to rural areas from 2013.
CONFERENCES
UN Climate Change Conference (COP
18)
The United Nations Climate Change Conference ,
which is the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 18) and
8th session of the Conference of the Parties (serving as the Meeting of
the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol ) ends on 8 December in Qatar, Doha. United
Nations climate talks in Doha had agreed to extend the Kyoto Protocol through
2020. Poland will host the next round of 19th session of the Conference
of the Parties (COP) UN climate talks in 2013.
World Conference on International
Telecommunications (WCIT-12)
The First ever World Conference on International
Telecommunications (WCIT) from 3 -14 December held in Dubai, United Arab
Emirates.The conference reviewed the current International
Telecommunication Regulations (ITRs).The 193 member states of the ambassadors
are attended this conference.While 89 states have signed the UN International
Telecommunications agreement and another 55 countries have refused the
deal.The new agreement will come into effect in January 2015.
ASEAN – India Commemorative
Summit held in New Delhi
India is hosted the ASEAN-India Commemorative
Summit held from December 20-21 in New Delhi to mark the 20th anniversary of
the ASEAN – India dialogue partnership and the 10th anniversary of ASEAN-India
Summit-level partnership.The theme of the summit is “ASEAN-India Partnership
for Peace and Shared Prosperity”. ASEAN and India have signed the awaited
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on comprehensive economic cooperation as foundations
for the establishment of an ASEAN-India Trade and Investment Area.
AWARDS & HONOURS
Katy Perry Honored With
Billboard’s “Woman of the Year”
Pop Singer Katy Perry was honored with Billboard’s
“Woman of the Year 2012” (The Star of the Women) award in New York.
Shah Rukh Khan Conferred
With Morocco’s Medal of Honour
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan had given
the prestigious Medal of Honour by the Prince of Morocco (Moulay Rachid) on 3
December 2012 in 12th Marrakech International Film Festival.
DRDO Scientist Gets Top Award
Brajnish Sitara scientist from Research Centre
Imarat(RCI), a premier laboratory of DRDO’s missile complex was conferred with
INAE(Indian National Academy of Engineering)Young Engineer Award for 2012 at
the academy’s annual conventionheld at Roorkee on 6 December 2012.
Rajan and Sajan Mishra Conferred
‘National Tansen Samman’
On 14 December 2012 noted vocalist duo of Rajan and
Sajan Mishra will be awarded prestigious ‘National Tansen Samman’ for year
2011-12 for their contribution to Hindustani classical music
Stephen Hawking Won Yuri
Milner Award
A Russian billionaire’s foundation was awarded two
special prizes of $3 million each to British cosmologist Stephen Hawking for
his work on black holes and to seven scientists at the world’s biggest
atom-smasher for their roles in the discovery of a new subatomic particle
believed to be the long-sought Higgs boson. Yuri Milner’s Fundamental Physics
Prize Foundation announced the awards on 11 December 2012.Hawking is honored
for his discovery of Hawking radiation from black holes “and his deep
contributions to quantum gravity and quantum aspects of the early universe.”
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
for Ravi Shankar
Sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar will be honoured
with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously.He becomes the first
Indian to get the prestigious award. The decision to honour Ravi Shankar, a
three-time Grammy winner, was made before his death.
Indian Journalist’s
Association Honoured Sir Charles Wheeler
On 16 December Indian Journalists Association has
conferred its Lifetime Achievement Award for 2012 posthumously to former BBC
correspondent Sir Charles Wheeler.
Scientist Venkatesh Mannar
honoured with Order of Canada Award
A Chennai born scientist of Indian origin, M.G
Venkatesh Mannar and President, Micronutrient Initiative, Canada was awarded
with Canada’s Highest Civilian Award – the “ Order of Canada “ on December .US,
was honoured with the award for his forty years long contribution working
towards reduction of debilitating micronutrient deficiencies among the worlds
most vulnerable.
Arunachal CM Selected for
“IAEWP” Award
On 18 December Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister
Nabam Tuki has been selected by the International Association of Educators for
World Peace (IAEWP) for a Lifetime Achievement Award. IAEWP is a
non-governmental organization affiliated to the United Nations and engaged in
the promotion of world peace. Besides the individual award he would also
receive the ‘Green State of the Year ‘ Award on behalf of the Arunachal Pradesh
Government for maintaining greenery in the state.
Top Honour For 7-year-old
South African Indian Rhino Campaigner
A seven-year-old Indian-origin girl Afeefah Patel
won a prestigious a wildlife conservation award in South Africa for
writing a letter to President Jacob Zuma asking for his assistance in saving
endangered rhinos. Afeefah Patel, who has just finished Grade One, became the
youngest winner ever of SANParks’s Corporate Contribution to Conservation Award
in individual category at the 8th annual Kudu Awards.
P.Chidambaram received “Best
Administrator” Award
On 20 December Union Finance Minister P.
Chidambaram received “”Best Administrator in India”” award instituted by K.
Karunakaran Foundation.The award was presented to him by Vice President of
India, M. Hamid Ansari.The award is being offered in the memory of renowned
Congress leader as well as the former Kerala Chief minister K.Karunakaran.
First Karunakaran Foundation Award was given to Pranab Mukherjee.
Archaeologist C.Govindarajanar
Received Presidential Award
President Pranab Mukherjee on 21 December 2012
conferred the Presidential Awards for Classical Tamil at a function in
Rashtrapati Bhavan. Prof. C. Govindarajanar was conferred Tolkappiyar Award for
outstanding contribution in the field of Tamil studies.
Top U.S. Innovation Award For
Indian-American
A renowned Indian-American inventor at IBM, Rangaswamy
Srinivasan, was nominated by U.S. President Barack Obama for the prestigious
National Medal of Technology and Innovation. He named the phenomenon
Ablative Photo Decomposition (APD). He got this award for the discovery of APD.
Shihab Ghanem the First
Arab to receive India’s Tagore Peace Prize
On 26 December The Asiatic society will award the
Tagore Peace Prize to Emirati poet and translator Shihab Ghanem .Shihab Ghanem
the first Arab to receive India’s Tagore Peace Prize.The peace prize is named
after Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengali creative talent and India’s first Nobel
laureate.
Pratibha Ray Won 2011
Jnanpith Award
Leading Oriya novelist and academician Pratibha
Ray, who has over 40 novels, travelogues and short stories to her credit, was
named for the prestigious Jnanpith Award for the year 2011 on 27 December 2012.
Astronautical Society’s
Aryabhatta award for Muthunayagam & Saraswat
The former secretary of the Department of Ocean
Development, A.E. Muthunayagam, will received the prestigious Aryabhatta award,
instituted by the Astronautical Society of India (ASI), for 2010 and V.K.
Saraswat, Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister, will receive the award
for 2011.They have been selected for their achievements in rocketry.
SPORTS & GAMES
Lalith Babu Top in Commonwealth
Chess Championship
Grandmasters M R Lalith Babu and Sergei Tiviakov
scored final round victories to reached the top of the table with 9.5 points in
the Commonwealth Chess Championship in Chennai on 01 December 2012. Lalith was
crowned the Commonwealth Champion 2012 title.
Rory McIlroy named PGA “Tour
Player of the Year”
On 2 December The PGA( Professional Golfers’
Association of America) Tour has announced Rory McIlroy as “Tour Player
of the Year” after McIlroy won four times on Tour in 2012. McIlroy,
becomes the youngest player to earn Player of the Year honors since Tiger Woods
in 1998.
Anna Ushenina is World
Women’s Chess Champion
Anna Ushenina of Ukraine 02 December 2012 won the
women’s World Championship crown, defeating Antoaneta Stefanova of Bulgaria in
the first set of tie-break games.
Air India Won Lal Bahadur Shastri
Tournament
Air India defeated Bharat Petroleum 3-1 to emerge
champion in the 23rd Lal Bahadur Shastri hockey tournament at the Shivaji
Stadium New Delhi on 4 December 2012.
Jadeja Created History Hitting
3rd Tripleton in FC Cricket
Ravindra Jadeja became first Indian and only eighth
batsman in the First-Class (FC) cricket history of world to score three
triple-centuries in the unbeaten 320 runs against Railways in the Ranji Trophy
Group A match on 2 December 2012 in Rajkot.
International Olympic
Committee Suspended India
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) suspended
India’s national Olympic committee on 4 December 2012 because of government
interference in its election process.
Australia Won 5th
Consecutive Champions Trophy Hockey
On 8 December Australia won fifth Consective
Champions Trophy Hockey after defeated Netherlands in Melbourne.The bronze
medal was claimed by Pakistan after they beated India on 9 december.
Indian Wrestlers Won Nine
Gold Medals in Copa Brasil Tournament
The Indian wrestling contingent finished with a
haul of nine gold and four bronze medals in the recent Copa Brasil-2012
tournament held at Rio in December 2012.
Magnus Carlsen won the 4th
London Chess Classic Tournament
On 10 December Norway’s chess ace Magnus Carlsen
won the 4th London Chess Classic Tournament in London .Carlsen defeated the
World Champion Viswanathan Anand in the final round and claim the winner’s
trophy.Kramnik is second place , Adams and Hikaru Nakamura share the third
place and Viswanathan Anand fifth place.
India Won Blind Cricket T20
World Cup
India won the first T20 world cup for the Blind .In
the final on 13 December 2012 India defeated the Pakistan by 29-runs.India
did well to clinch the first ever blind cricket T20 World Cup on the home soil.
India Won the World Cup Kabaddi
Tournament 2012
India won the 3rd World Cup Kabaddi Tournament for
the third consecutive time in the Men’s category and second consecutive time in
the Women’s category on15 December 2012. Indian men defeated the Pakistan and
India Women defeated the Malaysia in the finals held at the Guru Nanak Dev
Stadium in Ludhiana.
Jeev Honoured with Asia
Pacific Lifetime Achievement Award
Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh (in pic) won the
Asia Pacific Lifetime Achievement award along with Jack Nicklaus and Colin
Montgomerie on 15 December 2012.
China Claimed All Titles at
Junior World TT Championship
On 16 December China claimed the all titles at
Volkswagen 2012 World Junior Table Tennis Championship after it won girls as
well as boys trophies. Girls Singles : Zhu Yuling, Girls Doubles: Gu Yuting and
Zhu Yuling, Boys Singles : Fan Zhendong, Boys Doubles : Gu Ruochen and
Lin Gaoyuan, Mixed Doubles : Zhendong and Liu Gaoyang.
Federer & Nicola named
“ Swiss Athlete’s of the Year 2012
Tennis star Roger Federer was named Swiss male
athlete of the year at the 2012 Credit Suisse Sports Awards on 16 December in
Zurich.Federer received the honour for the fifth time. The female Athlete of
the year was Nicola Spirig, the Olympic triathlon champion of Switzerland.
England Won Test Series
On 17 December The last test match between India
and England of the Tournament England Tour to India ended up as a draw and with
this India lost the four-test match cricket series against England .With this
win England succeeded in ending a 28 year long wait of winning a test series on
Indian Soil.
Syed Rahim Nabi Named “
AIFF Player of the Year 2012 “
Syed Rahim Nabi has been named the ‘AIFF (All
India Football Federation) Player of the Year, 2012′ on 20 December.
Sachin Retired From One Day
Cricket
On 23 December Sachin Tendulkar announced
retirement from one day cricket. Sachin scored 18426 runs in 463 one-day matches
and also made 49 hundreds in the one-day format, including a double hundred
which is the first in this form of cricket and 96 half centuries. He became the
first cricketer to score a double century in the history of One Day
international Cricket against South Africa in February 2010.Tendulkar scored
his 100th international century on 16 March 2012 against Bangladesh, where he
scored 114 runs.
Kashyap Won First Grand Prix
Title
Kashyap Parupalli defeated Thailand’s Tanongsak
Saensomboonsuk in a tight three game match to take his first Grand Prix title
at the Shaheed Dr. KL Garg, Syed Modi India Grand Prix Gold 2012.
Apurvi Chandela Won Air Rifle
Gold
On 24 December Apurvi Chandela of Rajasthan won
Women’s Air Rifle Gold in the Sahara 56th National Shooting Championship.Former
champion and National record holder, Pournima clinched the bronze.
Djokovic won World Tennis
Championship
On 29 December Spanish tennis player Novak Djokovic
won World Tennis Championship final after defeated Nicolas Almagro in Abu
Dhabi.
Vijay Won Gold in National
Shooting Championship
London Olympics silver medallist Vijay Kumar 30
december 2012 clinched the gold medal in the men’s rapid fire pistol event at
the 56th National Shooting Championship in New Delhi.
McGrath inducted into ‘Hall
of Fame’
The ICC announced on 30 December 2012 that McGrath,
who took more Test wickets (563) than any other fast bowler and holds the
record for most wickets in World Cups (71), will be inducted as the 68th
male player in the International Cricket Council’s Hall of Fame.
ECONOMY
The ADB cut India’s Growth
Forecast to 5.4 percent
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) cut India’s growth
forecast to 5.4 per cent in 2012-13 fiscal, barely two months after it had made
a projection of 5.6 per cent growth for the Asia’s third largest economy.
India’s growth forecast is revised from 5.6 per cent to 5.4 per cent in fiscal
year 2012 and from 6.7 per cent to 6.5 per cent in FY 2013.
Rich Gulf Families Own Wealth
Worth USD 1.2 Trillion
According to the ‘KFH-Research’ report said one
million wealthy families in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries own
investment assets worth about USD 1.2 trillion.The report about wealth and
funds management said that the world’s population of high net worth individuals
(HNWIs) grew by a marginal 0.8 per cent year on year to 11 million in 2011.
India Economy Would
Dominate the Economy of the World by 2030
US intelligence counsel was released report on 10
December 2012 declared that India would straddle international commerce and
will also dominate the economy of the whole world by 2030.
IOC Retains Top in Fortune
500 India List
Government owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) is
ranked as the largest company in terms of revenue, the Fortune 500 list of
Indian companies for 2012 . In this list Indian Oil Corporation got the first
place with a full-year revenue of Rs 4,202 billion, Reliance Industries Limited
got the second place with a full-year revenue of Rs 3,675 billion and Bharat
Petroleum Corporation got the third place with a full -year revenue of Rs 2,148
billion
India’s Lost $123 bn in
Black Money
According to the report of ‘Illicit
Financial Flows from Developing Countries: 2001—2010,’ released by Global
Financial Integrity (GFI) India lost $123 billion in black money during
2001-2010. However India’s loss is far less than that of China, which according
to the report suffered a loss of $ 2.74 trillion during the same period (2001
to 2010). India is the eighth largest victim of black money loses.
India Lags Several Nations in Per
Capita Income
India is lagging behind several countries in per
capita income due to different levels of development and various other factors,
the central government was informed on 19 December. India’s per capita
GDP on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) basis was $3,403 in 2010 and is estimated
at $3,662.69 in 2011 and $3,851.31 in 2012.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Canadian Scientists Created
Artificial Brain
Software engineers as well as neuroscientists at
University of Waterloo, Canada claimed that they have developed a closest model
of the functioning human brain, known as Spaun which is advanced enough for
passing the basic IQ tests. This is the virtual brain which functions on the
supercomputer and comprises of a digital eye, which can be used for visual
input. It also has the robotic arm which can be used for drawing the response.
Voyager 1 Drifts Into Unknown
Region of Space
NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft has discovered a new
layer of the solar system that scientists hadn’t known was there, researchers
announced on 4 December 2012. Voyager 1, in particular, has entered a new
region of the heliosphere that scientists are calling a “magnetic highway,”
which allows charged particles from inside the heliosphere to flow outward, and
particles from the galaxy outside to come in.
New Anti-HIV Gel for HIV
Transmission
Researchers led by Dereuddre-Bosquet from the
European Combined Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Microbicides (CHAARM)
Consortium describe the gel’s key ingredient, which are small peptides
engineered to present a decoy to bind up the virus and prevent it from entering
and infecting the body cells. Because this is a gel it can be topically applied
and could represent a powerful preventative agent against sexual transmission
of HIV. Bosquet and colleagues engineered peptides named ‘miniCD4s’ because
they mimic the CD4 receptor used by HIV to gain entry into immune cells of the
body.
NASA to Send New Rover to Mars in
2020
NASA was announced plans to send a new
robotic explorer to the the Red Planet, Mars in 2020.
7 Planets Discovered In The
Milky Way
New York Scientists have been discovered Seven
planets in the Milky Way outside our solar system that could potentially
harbour life and researchers from an ambitious project to catalogue all
habitable worlds claim.
Russia Delivered MiG-29
Fighter Jets to India
Russia on 10 December 2012 delivered the
first three upgraded MiG-29UPG fighter jets to India under a USD 900 million
contract to modernise the ageing fleet of MiG-29 aircraft with the IAF.
Tata Group Developed new
“Artillery Gun”
On 11 December In a step towards developing the
indigenous private sector defence industry, the Tata group has created a new
Artillery Gun. The 155mm 52 calibre gun developed by the Tata group is likely
to have a strike range of 52 kms, which would probably be the longest in the
Indian inventory.
India Successfully Test
Fired Agni-I Ballistic Missile
India on 12 December 2012 successfully
test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable Agni-I ballistic missile
with a strike range of 700 km from a test range off Odisha coast. Weighing 12
tonnes, the 15-metre-long Agni-I, which is capable of carrying payloads up to
1000 kg and destroy the targets at a distance of 700 km.
North Korea Launched Unha-3
Rocket
On 12 December North Korea launched a long-range
rocket Unha-3 despite international opposition and growing tensions in the
region successfully delivering a scientific satellite Kwangmyongsong-3 into
orbit.Unha-3 is the second version of satellite Kwangmyongsong-3 which is
successfully lifted off from the Sohae Space Center by carrier rocket.The US
and its allies view the launch as a disguised test of ballistic missile
technology.
NASA’s Twin Probes Crashed
Successfully onto Lunar Mountain
Ebb and Flow, the gravity mapping satellites of
NASA ended the successful mission to Moon by crashing on the rim of crater.
Lunar surface on which Ebb and Flow crashed will be given a name after Sally
Ride, the first woman of America in the space who died earlier in 2012.
Rocket with 3 Astronauts Takes
off for ISS
A Soyuz spacecraft carrying three astronauts took
off atop a towering Russian rocket on 19 December 2012, headed for the
International Space Station.It launched from Russia’s manned-space facility in
the frigid steppes of Kazakhstan. American Tom Marshburn, Russian Roman
Romanenko and Canadian Chris Hadfield are travelled in capsule.
Prithvi-II Flight- Tested
Successfully
The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) successfully
flight-tested nuclear weapons-capable Prithvi-II missile from Chandipur, off
the Odisha coast on 20 December 2012. The surface-to-surface ballistic
missile, was fired from a road mobile launcher and tested for its full range of
350 km.The single-stage, liquid propelled missile can carry a payload of 500
kg.
Astra Missile Successfully
Test-fired
India on December 2012 test launched its
indigenously developed beyond visual range (BVR) air-to-air interceptor missile
Astra at the interim test range(ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha.Astra which has the
capability to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft at a supersonic speed can be
fitted into any fighter aircraft. Considered as one of the best of its kind in
the world, the 3.8 metre long missile which weighs about 160 kg can carry
explosive loaded conventional warheads up to 15 kg.
Scientists Discovered Mini Nile
River on Saturn’s Moon Titan
Nasa scientists had spotted the longest
extraterrestrial river system ever – on Saturn’s moon Titan – and it appears to
be a miniature version of Earth’s Nile river.
Higgs Boson ‘ Tops Journal
Science’s 2012 List
The discovery of the Higgs Boson, an invisible
particle that explains the mystery of mass, leads a list of the top 10
scientific advances of 2012 released by the US journal Science on 22 December .
America Launched
Reusable Rockets
US California based SpaceX’s industry successfully
launched ‘Grasshopper’ reusable rockets.The rocket took a giant leap for
commercial space flight and when it rose 131 feet and landed safely back on
Earth. Grasshopper rocket rose to a height of 131 feet around ten storeys
and hovered before landing safely on its launch pad using closed loop
thrust vector and throttle control.
Hot Spots For World’s more
Powerful Earthquakes Revealed
The locations of where the world’s largest
earthquakes are most likely to take place had pinpointed with greater accuracy
than ever before, by researchers from the University of Sydney.The coasts of
Southern Chile and Peru, Indonesia’s Sumatra Island, and several regions along
the eastern Eurasian coastline, are some of the regions prone to great
earthquakes.
PERSONS IN NEWS
a) APPOINTMENTS
Visually-challenged
Indian-American in key US post
On 1 December Obama administration was
appointed a visually-challenged Indian-American Sachin Dev Pavithran as a
Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board member.
Ajit Pawar sworn-in as
Maharashtra Deputy CM
Ajith Pawar sworn-in as Maharashtra deputy
chief minister on 7 December. After getting the clean chit from the
government on corruption in irrigation projects.
Chautala Elected as IOA President
Abhay Singh Chautala was on December 2012
unanimously elected president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) while
Lalit Bhanot became the new secretary general.
Parthasarathy Shome
Appointed Adviser to Finance Minister
The government of India appointed tax expert
Parthasarthi Shome as adviser to Finance Minister P Chidambaram with minister
of state rank, sending a strong signal that tax reforms may top its economic
agenda in the remainder of the UPA government’s second term.
Malala’s Father Ziauddin
Yousufzai Appointed UN Education Adviser
Ziauddin Yousufzai, the father of 15-year-old
Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai, who was shot by the Taliban for
advocating girls’ right to education, has been appointed as Special UN Adviser
on Global Education on 10 December.
Vijay Kumar appointed Senior
Security Adviser in Home Ministry
The Union government had appointed the former
Director-General of the Central Reserve Police Force, K. Vijay Kumar, as Senior
Security Adviser in the Home Ministry where he will advise on security and
development in the Naxal-affected States.
Vinod Rai Re-elected as Chair of
UN Auditors Panel
Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of
India Vinod Rai was re-elected Chair of the (UN) auditors Panel for the
year 2013, while the CAG of the United Kingdom, Amyas Morse, was re-elected the
vice-chair of the Panel.
Naina Lal Kidwai Becomes First
Woman President of FICCI
Country Head of HSBC India, Naina Lal Kidwai, took
over as President of FICCI on 15 December 2012. She become the
first woman to head the leading industry body.
Rita Singh Elected Federation of
Indian Associations President
Rita Singh, an Indian American businesswoman from
Bihar was elected the first woman president of Chicago-based Federation of
Indian Associations (FIA).
Subhash Joshi Appointed As New
BSF Chief
Subhash Joshi was appointed as the new chief of
Border Security Force (BSF) on 18 December 2012. Chadha, Special Secretary
was appointed as Director General of ITBP(Indo-Tibetan Border Police).
Obama Nominates John Kerry
to be Secretary of State
The senior senator John Kerry was nominated
as America’s Foreign Minister by President Barack Obama on 21
December 2012.The John Kerry, who is the senior Senator from Massachusetts, now
he became the chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations
Committee.
Smita Singh Appointed as
member of Global Development Council
On 22 December The Obama administration has
appointed Indian-American Smita Singh as member of the president’s Global
Development Council.
Virbhadra Singh Sworn in as
Himachal Pradesh’s Chief Minister
On 25 December Former Union Minister Virbhadra
Singh was sworn-in as Himachal Pradesh’s chief minister for a record sixth term
in Shimla. He was Chief Minister five times between 1983 and 1985; 1985 and
1990; 1993 and 1998 and 2003 and 2007.
Narendra Modi Sworn in Gujarat CM
for 4th time
Narendra Modi sworn in as Gujarat chief minister
for the fourth consecutive time on 26 December 2012. He was sworn in along with
seven ministers of Cabinet rank and nine ministers of state.
Cyrus Mistry took charge as Tata
Group Chairman
Cyrus Mistry, the new chairman of the Tata Group,
took charge of his office on 31 December.Mistry is the sixth chairman of the
Tata empire.
b) RESIGNS
Mali Prime Minister Cheick Modibo
Diarra Resigned
On 11 December Malian Prime Minister Cheick Modibo
Diarra resigned and dissolved his government after he was arrested by the army
in the West African nation.He was acting Prime Minister of Mali from April 2012
Singapore Parliament Speaker Resigned
Singapore’s parliament speaker Michael Palmer
announced his resignation on 12 December 2012 over an extramarital affair
with a staff member of the People’s Association, a statutory body leading
efforts to reach out to members of the public.
Israeli Foreign Minister
Avigdor Resigned
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman formally
submitted his resignation on 16 December 2012 due to a pending indictment
against him for fraud and breach of trust.
Japan Prime Minister
Yoshihiko Noda Resigned
On 16 December Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko
Noda resigned from his post to take responsibility for his Democratic Party of
Japan (DPJ) defeat in Lower House Election .He was formally appointed by the
Emperor on 2 September 2011.
c) DEATHS
Geophysicist Devendra Lal Died
Devendra Lal, geophysicist and visiting professor
at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) of the university of
california, has died on 1 December in San Diego.He was
conferred with Padma Shri in 1971. Devendra Lal also won NASA Group Achievement
Award.
World’s Oldest Woman and Tallest
Woman Both Died
Besse Cooper, the woman listed as the world’s
oldest person was died on 4 December 2012 in Georgia at the age of 116.
Meanwhile, a Chinese woman, Yao Defen, was certified as the tallest in the
world was also died. Mrs Cooper was declared the world’s oldest person in
January 2011.Chinese woman Yao Defen was listed as the world’s tallest woman by
Guinness World Records in 2010.
Jazz Pianist &
Composer Dave Brubeck Died
On 5 December Legendary Jazz composer and
pianist Dave Brubeck died in Norwalk. He had also won various awards during his
career which spanned over six decades.The Library of Congress designated him as
the Living Legend.
British Astronomer Sir
Patrick Moore Died
British astronomer and broadcaster Sir Patrick
Moore on 9 December 2012 in Selsey, West Sussex.Sir Patrick presented the BBC
programme The Sky At Night for over 50 years, making him the longest-running
host of the same television show ever.
Ex-Bangladesh President Ahmed
Died
Former Bangladeshi President and Bangladesh
Nationalist Party(BNP) leader Iajuddin Ahmed passed away on 10 December
2012. Iajuddin Ahmed was the 13th president of Bangladeshserving from
Sept. 6, 2002 until Feb. 12, 2009.
Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar
Died
Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankar, whose mastery
over the sitar helped rejuvenate the classical instrumental tradition in India
and popularise Indian music in the West through concerts and collaborations
with well known artists, died in San Diego, U.S. on 11 December 2012.
Former Ranji Cricketer Nimbalkar
Died
Former Ranji cricketer B B Nimbalkar was passes
away on 11 December 2012. BB Nimbalkar, who made an unbeaten 443 runs for
Maharashtra against Kathiawar in a Ranji Trophy match in 1948-49. Yet
this is the India’s highest scorer in first-class cricket.
First CM of Uttarakhand
Nityanand Swami Passed Away
The first Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Nityanand
Swami died at Dehra Dun on 12 December 2012.He worked as a first Chief Minister
of Uttarakhand after dividing it from Uttar Pradesh in 2000.
Barcode Co-inventor Woodland Died
Norman Joseph Woodland, who co-created the barcode,
was died on 9 December 2012 in New Jersey at the age of 91. Woodland was
the co-inventor of bar code. He as well as his partner Bernard Silver
(who died in 1963) patented this idea of bar code back in 1952.
Guinness World’s Oldest
Person Dina Manfredini Died
Dina Manfredini (115 Years) the world’s
oldest person and a resident of Iowa, has died on 17 December in Johnston
.Guinness World Records identified Manfredini as the world’s oldest person on
December 5, a day after the death of 116-year-old Besse Cooper of Georgia.
Former India Volleyball
Captain Tilakam Gopal Died
Tilakam Gopal, former India captain died on 18
December 2012. Mr.Gopal’s achievements was being member of the silver medal
winning Indian squad in the 1962 Jakarta Asian Games and even led India in the
five-Test series against the visiting Russians in 1966 which later on helped
him to continue be captain in the Bangkok ASIAD in 1966 where India stood
fourth.
Hockey Legend Leslie
Claudius Died
Legendary hockey player and one of India’s greatest
Olympians Leslie Claudius, passed away in Kolkata on 20 December 2012. India
won the silver medal in the Asian Games in 1978 in Bangkok, when he was the
team manager.He got the Padma Shree award in 1971.
Former England Cricket Team
Captain Tony Greig Died
Tony Greig, the South Africa-born cricketer who
became England cricket team captain and later continued to make his mark
on the game as a revered commentator in Australia, died on 29 December 2012.He
played 58 tests for England and scored 3,599 runs at an average of 40.43 and
took 141 wickets at 32.20.
d) VISITORS
Palestinian Hamas leader Meshaal
Visited Gaza
The political leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal has
visited Gaza on 6 December .He attended a commemoration of the 25th
anniversary of the founding of Hamas and a victory celebration .He visited
southern Gaza strip through Egypt’s Rafah border crossing over for the first
time in 45 years.
Ukrainian President
Yanukovych Visited India
Viktor Yanukovych the President of Ukrainian
visited India from 9th to 12th December. During this
visit he signed 5 agreements .He met Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan and the
both nations discussed ways to improve bilateral relations.
Pak Minister Rehman Malik
Visited India
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rehman Malik visited
India from 14th to 16th December .During the visit he met Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh and both nations signed on new visa agreement.
Russian President Putin Visited
India
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India on
24 December .During the visit he met Manmohan Singh in New Delhi and
signed a series of pacts on defense cooperation and reached consensus to
develop economic and trade relations.Putin last visited India as prime minister
in 2010.
e) MISCELLANEOUS
China Launched First High Speed
Train in Extremely Cold Areas
The world’s first high-speed train in areas with
extremely low temperature started operation in China 01 December 2012.This
train move with a speed of 350 Kmph in the areas of minus 40 degrees
temperature. This is the fastest train world in this areas.
Forbes 2012 Most Powerful
Persons List
On 6 December 2012 Forbes Magazine released the
most powerful persons list in the world. In that list AICC President Sonia
Gandhi got the 12th place and Prime Minister of India Man Mohan Singh got the
20th place. As usually this year also American President Barack Obama got 1st
place. German chancellor Angela Merkel got the 2nd place. The list also
includes Russian President Vladimir Putin at number three, Microsoft co-founder
Bill Gates (4), Richest Person in India Mukesh Ambani (37).
Mumbai Among World’s ‘Dirtiest’
Cities
India’s commercial capital, Mumbai, was named
among the world’s ‘dirtiest’ cities, ranking last in the “cleanest streets”
category, a global survey of 40 key tourist cities has found. According to
TripAdvisor’s Cities Survey, Tokyo grabbed the first place while Mumbai ranked
last in the list of “cleanest streets”.
Jiroemon Kimura named ‘
World’s Oldest Person
On 18 December Jiroemon Kimura (115 years) has been
named the world’s oldest person after the death of his predecessor, an American
woman named Dina Manfredini who died on 17 December after receiving the title
of oldest person of the world.Jiroemon Kimura was born on 19 April 1897 and is
just 15 days younger than the deceased Dina Manfredini.
Miss Universe 2012 Olivia Culpo
(USA)
Miss USA Olivia Culpo is crowned Miss Universe 2012
on 19 December 2012, on the Las Vegas. Miss Philippines, Janine Tugonon, came
in second, while Miss Venezuela, Irene Sofia Esser Quintero, placed third.
Obama is Time’s ‘Person of the
Year’
President Barack Obama had been named Time
magazine’s “Person of the Year” for 2012 on 19 December 2012. Obama also
received the honour in 2008.
8 Indians Among World’s Best
Performed CEOs
Eight Indian CEOs have made it to the list of 100
best performing global chief executives, compiled by Harvard Business Review
(HBR). Deveshwar was first among the Indian CEOs featured in this list, and
cornered the seventh place overall.Former chairman and MD, ONGC Subir Raha
(Rank 13).Chairman and CEO, Reliance Industries, Mukesh Ambani (Rank
28).Chairman and Managing Director, Larsen & Toubro, AM Naik (Rank 32).
Former CMD, Bharat Heavy Electricals, AK Puri (Rank 38). Chairman, Bharti
Airtel, Sunil Bharti Mittal (Rank 65). CEO, Jindal Steel & Power, Naveen
Jindal (Rank 87). Former Chairman, SAIL,VS Jain (Rank 89). Former Apple CEO,
Steve Jobs (Rank 1). CEO, Amazon.com CEO, Jeff Bezos (Rank 2).
China Launched World’s Longest
High-Speed Rail
China launched service on the world’s longest
high-speed railway on 26 December 2012 with trains scheduled to run 2,298
kilometres between Beijing and Guangzhou in about eight hours.Travelling at an
average speed of about 300 km per hour, the service would cut the journey time
from more than 20 hours by conventional trains.
PLACES IN NEWS
Typhoon Bopha Killed Hundreds in
Philippines
Bopha, the strongest typhoon hit the
Philippines on 5 December 2012, was left at least 325 died. The typhoon
with central winds of 115 kph and gusts of up to 145 kph was moved to
west-northwest of the central Philippines on 6 December 2012.
Powerful Earthquake in
Japan
The powerful earthquake had occurred in Japan on 7
December 2012.The magnitude of this earthquake was recorded as 7.3. This
earthquake had occurred in 240 km beyond the Miyagi coast in the Pacific
Oceanin a depth of 10m.
ABBREVIATIONS
UNFCCC - United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
WCCB – Wildlife Crime
Control Bureau
TRAI
– Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
SCI
– Shipping
Corporation of India
NSC
– National Security Council
OIL
– Oil India Limited
GAAR –
General Anti Avoidance Rules
NCHRH – National Council for Human
Resources in Health
IOA
– Indian Olympic Association
GCC
– Gulf Cooperation Council
NDAA –
National Defence Authorisation Act
INAE –
Indian National Academy of Engineering
ITSMA –
Information Technology Services Marketing Association
GTI – Global
Terrorism Index
BOOKS IN NEWS
“The Peak” Book Released on
Sachin Tendulkar
On 2 December Indian Cricketer Yuvraj Singh was
launched Sachin Tendulkar’s new book named ‘The Peak’ which is a unique
photographed story on Tendulkar by photo-journalist Suman
Chattopadhyay. The book captures some rare and
memorable moments of Tendulkar’s life through Chattopadhyay’s lens and the
stories behind them in the master’s own words
“Pankaj, Bengal’s Forgotten Hero”
Book Released
On 3 December Senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar and
former India captain Sourav Ganguly released a book on former India
opener Late Pankaj Roy named ‘Pankaj, Bengal‘s Forgotten Hero‘ has been written
by Bengali sports journalist Gautam Bhattacharya. Pankaj Roy had played 43
Tests for India in a span of 10 years scoring 2442 runs with five centuries.
“My Tryst with Justice”
Book Released
On 12 December President Pranab Mukherjee
released a book “My Tryst with Justice” which was written by Former Chief
Justice P.N.Bhagwati .The book would be a prized possession for every Indian
who wants to make a difference to the world and who aspires for a world more
just, he added.
’M.S. Subbulakshmi – Queen
of Carnatic Music’ Book Launched
The life story of carnatic music legend M.S.
Subbulakshmi, the first musician to be conferred the Bharat Ratna, is now
detailed in a graphic illustrated book launched on December. The story of the
nightingale of carnatic music, fondly known as MS. It is being told through
Amar Chitra Katha’s new title “M S Subbulakshmi – Queen of Carnatic Music’’
COMMITTEES
Usha Thorat Committee for NBFCs
India’s majority of Non-Banking Finance companies
(NBFCs) may be freed from the regulatory clutches provided Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) implements one of the recommendations made by Usha Thorat
Committee. The committee had submitted its recommendations to RBI.
Currently, those recommendations are under RBI’s consideration.
Chandrashekhar Committee to
Frame Rules for Foreign Investors
On 13 December The market regulator Sebi has
appointed a committee under ex-Cabinet secretary K M Chandrashekhar to frame a
single set of guidelines for all types of foreign investors.The committee will
suggest ways to simplify the investment process for all overseas entities like
foreign institutional investors, foreign venture capital investors (FVCIs),
qualified financial, institutional investors (QFIs)
IMPORTANT DAYS & DATES
Feb 4 –
World Cancer Day
Feb 20 –
World Day of Social Justice
Feb 21 –
International Mother Tongue Day
Feb 22 –
World Scout Day
Feb 22 –
World Thinking Day
Feb 23 –
World Peaces and Understanding Day
Feb 24 –
Central Excise Tax Day
Feb 28
–
National Science Day
Full credit to currentaffairs.freejobalert; the article is shared here for easy of reference to aspirants.
(courtesy @ currentaffairs.freejobalert)
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